Over a million of us go to the cottage—and maybe that’s exactly why we are the happiest country in the world
On vacations or days off, you could do many other things. Still, why does heading to the cottage so often feel like the top choice, wonders Kotona producer Arja Kuittinen.
Finnish cottage-lovers instantly recognize one another. It can happen as if by magic—perhaps when you’re waiting in line at the office coffee machine. You were just about to mention to a coworker that there was a gorgeous full moon at the cottage on Saturday.
The stranger in front of you turns around, eyes wide, and exclaims, “It really was amazing!” Then you bring up the moonlit path on the lake, and before long, you’re both immersed in a conversation about how spectacular the sunsets have been this summer, where your cottage is, and whether we can expect plenty of funnel chanterelles this year.
You only meant to grab a quick cup of coffee, but you ended up stretching your break a bit. The next time you pass each other in the hallway at work, you greet one another cheerily.
A cottage-goer feels a sense of belonging with someone just like them—even a total stranger. Cottage life is like an invisible glue that instantly brings people together.
It feels almost magical when someone else is a bit like you, almost as though you’re family or speak the same language. They, too, have spent the summer deciding where to transplant midsummer rose seedlings and which kind of woodshed the cottage really needs.
Above all, they understand why even an outgoing person might want to retreat into the calm of nature and skip seeing other people for weeks.
Cottage life can sometimes be laborious and filled with disappointments, just like life itself.
Spending time at the cottage isn’t the most important thing in the world. It’s just one of many great experiences life offers, and sometimes it can be hard work and full of letdowns—much like life itself. There’s always a corner that needs fixing, and instead of a heat wave, it might pour rain. When you finally get to cool off on the sauna terrace, the summer evening might be topped off by mosquitoes buzzing in your ears.
During a vacation or on your days off, you could certainly do something else. You could go to the movies or just relax at home. You could meet up with loved ones or head out on a trip. But still: how does the cottage so often feel, despite it all, like the unbeatable choice?
In Finland, there are nearly 500,000 cottages, and estimates say that more than a million people use them. Maybe that’s exactly why, year after year, we remain the happiest country in the world.
